The invention relates to a method for aspirating secreted fluids from a wound, including a method of placement for the drain that accepts the secreted fluid. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method.
Sterile systems are known consisting of a drain, connecting tube, and an evacuated secretion receptacle. Secreted fluids are aspirated from wounds with the aid of this system. Because of the negative pressure in the secretion receptacle, a continuous suction effect is present at the drain, the intensity of which has its maximum at the beginning of the aspiration process and becomes smaller as the container becomes more and more full. In many cases when the secretion aspiration takes place in this manner, the formation of a hemotoma is expected and accepted It is true that through massage a hematoma reduction can be achieved, but the hematoma formation delays the patient reaching the mobilization phase. Furthermore, with the use of this type of sterile system there is always the danger that, despite the complete sterility of the system, causative organisms can enter the wound. This danger is caused by the fact that the drain must be introduced from the outer surface of the body or from the wound opening, so that any causative organisms located on the surface of the skin can come into contact with the drain in the outer skin layers and thereby get into the wound.